Somalia: United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator warns of impending disaster in Lower Juba Valley

Nairobi (22nd September 2004) - The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Maxwell Gaylard, has requested the combatant's forces currently fighting in the Lower Juba Region to immediately cease hostilities and seek a peaceful solution. The HC said he was saddened by the unnecessary loss of lives, displacement and destruction of property at this critical period when Somalia is on the verge of creating a central government as an outcome of the Peace and Reconciliation talks in Nairobi.

Mr Gaylard emphasised that the Lower Juba Valley is experiencing a very severe drought this year with high malnutrition rates and reports of hunger-related deaths. "The current fighting in the area is seriously disrupting the humanitarian operations currently underway. Unless the conflict can be stopped very soon, we could be witness to the kind of famine conditions experienced in 1992."

Mr Gaylard said he was also concerned that the conflict could lead to a larger-scale violence that might eventually spread to other areas of Somalia and put the latest achievement of the reconciliation and government formation process in jeopardy.

A July post Gu food assessment by the Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) of FAO indicated that Middle and Lower Juba region have 165,800 people in humanitarian emergency and livelihood crisis. These people require immediate assistance to save lives and protect livelihoods. The region also has one of the highest recorded malnutrition rates in Somalia with 19.5% acute malnutrition rates recorded between April and June 2004.